GameZone Looks Back on 2009 and Takes a Peek at 2010

It was a
great year for innovation and titles; but the coming year could be even better

New motion
controllers, new music games, Call of Duty controversies and one too many delays
– 2009 was a big year for video games and GameZone was there to capture every
second of it. Join us as we look back on 2009 and take a peek at 2010.

The
Biggest Announcements

Natal:
Microsoft didn’t shock the world when it unveiled its new motion-specific
control option for the Xbox 360, but it definitely got the world’s attention.
Built with the promise of hand, arm, leg and body-based motions – all with zero
involvement of a game controller – Natal is poised to be quite the revolution
when it’s released in…well, we don’t know yet. But rest assured that Microsoft
will continue to tease and tantalize with new details in the coming months. Read
more:
Xbox 360’s “Project Natal” Awakens Imagination of Global Video-Game Industry.

Sony
Motion Controller:
Natal may have gotten the world’s attention for what it could do, but
it’s Sony who might have the last laugh – and offer the most fun games – with
what its motion controller will do. Developed with true 1:1 motion
technology that lets you interact with games with real-time precision, the
not-yet-officially-titled motion controller for PlayStation 3 will be supported
by games like Ape Escape and Echochrome 2. Two of these controllers can be used
by one player, opening the door for unique experiences that could change
everything we know about video games. Read more:
Motion Controller for PlayStation 3 to Become Available in Spring 2010.

Music
Madness: Guitar
Hero 5, Band Hero, DJ Hero, The Beatles: Rock Band – 2009 was definitely the
year for music-loving gamers. While the former two were fairly familiar
iterations in the long-running Guitar Hero series, DJ Hero was Activision’s
latest step into new musical territory. Meanwhile, Harmonix gave Beatles fans
the game they’ve been waiting their whole lives to play. Read more:
Guitar Hero 5 review,DJ Hero review,
Band Hero review and
The Beatles: Rock Band review.

Two New
Mario Games:
Despite developing some of the best software, Nintendo isn’t typically
sequel-friendly. Rather than give us multiple Mario titles on each console, the
company prefers to release one true Mario game per platform. That changed at E3
‘09 when Nintendo announced that NEW Super Mario Bros. Wii (the sequel to the
2006 DS classic) and Super Mario Galaxy 2 (the sequel to the Wii masterpiece)
would be coming to Nintendo Wii. Read more:
NEW Super Mario Wii. review and
E3 2009: Nintendo Media Briefing.

Super
Mario Galaxy will return in 2010.

The
Biggest Games

Dragon Age:
Origins, Assassin’s Creed 2, NEW Super Mario Wii, Uncharted 2, Wii Sports
Resort, Halo 3: ODST and Halo Wars are just some of the huge hits to come out of
2008. But only one game broke multiple records for sales and pre-orders, all the
while sparking a major controversy that people are still talking about: Call of
Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Banking on
the success of the first Modern Warfare – which is considered by many to be the
premiere shooter of the generation, if not the best FPS ever made – Activision
didn’t have to work hard to build interest for the sequel. Really, all the
publisher had to do was give us the title, show off some gameplay footage, and
wait while the lines began to form at retailers.

Those lines
helped Modern Warfare 2 earn $550 million in just five days – a record that is
not only new to the game industry but to the film and music industries as well.
Granted, the base price of Modern Warfare 2 is $60; the ultimate package (which
included real night-vision goggles) retailed for $150. But let’s not forget that
video games are still not entirely mainstream; while everyone and their brother
may have paid $8 to $10 to see Transformers, only game players will buy Modern
Warfare 2. In spite of that, it still came out on top.

Read
GameZone’s
review to find out if the Modern Warfare 2 was worth its record-breaking
sales – and insurmountable hype.

Call of
Duty: bigger than ever.

The
Biggest Delays

Due to
“unforeseen circumstances” (and other explanations developers and publishers
love to give), here are a few of 2009’s finest titles that you’ll be playing in
2010, courtesy of their delays: BioShock 2, Bayonetta, Splinter Cell and Dark
Void.

The
Biggest Things to Come

We haven’t
seen a winter gaming spree like this in a while. Starting on January 6, 2010,
there will be a plethora of intriguing, potentially must-play games to get lost
in. The aforementioned Bayonetta and Dark Void are two of January’s biggest
stars; the former is pure Devil May Cry-crushing action while the latter could
redefine what it means to mix aerial and on-foot combat.

BioShock 2,
due in February, promises to deliver just what the fans have been waiting for,
including multiplayer content that, if the single-player action of the first
game is any indication, could very well revolutionize the way we game online.

Nothing
like a Little Sister to lend a helping hand.

Heavy Rain
is another one of February’s heavy-hitters. Developed with the art of cinematic
storytelling in mind, this “game” hopes to extend the innovative concepts of its
unofficial predecessor – Indigo Prophecy – while introducing things the world
has never seen.

Call of Duty
may lead the pack as the number-one shooter, but that won’t stop millions of
players from rushing to buy Lost Planet 2 when it arrives. Using the philosophy
that more of the same is fully acceptable as long as it results in a game that’s
bigger, better, and much more exciting, Lost Planet 2 looks – and plays – like
it was developed to be a game that’s impossible to resist.

Wii owners
should get a special treat in the form of Red Steel 2, the first third-party
game to be ballsy enough to support the Wii MotionPlus exclusively. If you don’t
have the attachment, you can’t play the game. Though that might sound like a
ridiculous marketing ploy, there’s a good reason for it: by focusing all their
attention on the motion controls, the developers are aiming to create the kind
of action game they had strived to design – but ultimately failed – with the
first Red Steel.

Final
Fantasy fans will finally get to know if the long-awaited 13th chapter is
everything they’ve been hoping for when FFXIII is released in March. It is, at
the very least, one of the most visually breathtaking games of the coming year.
But will the story, music and gameplay elements be equally as compelling? That’s
what we’re hoping for, and that’s why we’ll continue to lose sleep for the next
three months.

Final Fantasy
XIII anticipation: voted the number-one cause of insomnia among gamers.

Metal Gear
Solid: Peace Walker, the PSP sequel that few expected to see, is slated to sneak
its way into retailers this May. Influenced by Solid Snake’s most recent outing,
Peace Walker is going to be one of the PSP’s most exciting releases.

Later in the
year, we’ll no doubt hear more about Natal, Sony’s motion controller, and the
rumored (and Nintendo-hinted) motion-controlled Zelda game. Beyond that, one can
only speculate on what the industry’s next move will be. It seems that it is a
little too early for new handhelds, but that won’t stop the rumor mills from
revealing new details on the expected follow-ups to the Nintendo DS and the PSP.
Will Apple jump the gun and surprise the world with their long-rumored
game-dedicated machine? Or will the iPhone-creator wait until 2011 when the
next-gen handheld battle really heats up?

Whatever
happens, GameZone will be there once more, eagerly awaiting the next evolution
in the world’s greatest entertainment medium.